I need help people!

[Gina]

i have been doing alot of cardio and im going crazy with all the lows....right before i go to the gym i eat dinner...i have like a chicken cutlet or some sort of protein a vegtable and some kind of carb....i check the blood level before exercising and if i am below 150 i suspend my pump, so for the time im exercising im not getting any insulin (this is what my doc told me to do) after doing a cardio class i will be li ke anywhere between 40-60 the scary part of this all is im not even feeling the low while im working out....

So for the last week i tried drinking gatorade which seemed to be doing the trick....but i then realized after the first time i went high later because i had forgotten to turn my pump back on....

What do you people do during intense workouts?

[James B]

I avoid hard workouts. I have a bad knee and one foot that I broke a bone in about 30 years ago. I can ride a bike for a while. My brother will soon open the pool at his Motel for the summer and I will be able to start swimming. I should join the Y as they have the only pool thats open all year. I think its only 25 dollars a month. They have a good indoor track as well. You don,t do much outside walking in ND in the winter. In the summer I walk a lot while I am fishing. This year swatting those little blood sucking insect is a good upper body workout. If I was going to do a hard or long workout I would eat a few kidney or Navy beans as they release the blood sugar slow and steady.

[David]

Doesnt your pump alarm to remind you when suspended Gina?

[Gina]

yes why ....

[David]

Just a couple of thoughts Gina: you need to either get your carbs in faster to keep your BG up where you want it and/or suspend your pump earlier because humalog's action isnt instantaneous. I usually set a temp basal 30 m before I exercise because of the delayed effect. My workouts arent "intense", and you may need more carb and basal tweaking than I do. How long are your workouts lasting? Maybe test halfway through? Some of the after-exercise high may be due to rebound, but dont forget to set your basal back up. :)
David

[Gina]

i do check inbetween....before and after its crazy....i talked to my doc and he said im doing everything right i just have to find the right carb to keep me steady... he actually was telling me that some athletes use candy bars to keep their sugars level....he said that im getting some insulin resistance which is better and means i have to lower my basals

[Jon]

Chocolate is supposed to be high in fat, which slows the sugar absorption. I wonder if that works!:confused:

[MacnReef]

Gina, I would recommend drinking gatorade before the workout and water during. This way the gatorade will start working while you are working out and because it is a liquid it should help to absorb/sweat out the sugar.

Just my 2 cents.

BTW, I need to get a gym membership bad. I need to workout but I hate running around my block....I tried jumping jacks but I get board with that.

[Gina]

thanks Mac,
Thats exactly what i have been doing...i bring gatorade with me and drink only half during a workout and if i need some more i have more left and i drink water also....i have been drinking so much water that im turning into a camel

[MacnReef]

Well then, I must say, you are one beautiful camel!!! lol

[Gina]

:) thanks brother

[runningscared]

Hello everyone, I am very new here, dx'd a week ago with I think type 2, still waiting for more info, classes and to see my dietician. Please tell me, what is basals and the importance of sweating and gatorade?

Thank you

Rick

[MacnReef]

You "THINK" you are type 2? Maybe you could elaborate for me.

Basal is a word that is used with a diabetic pump, it is a set amount of insulin that is delivered thru-out the day.

Okay, sweating and gatorade. When you sweat, you are usually working out or exercising, therefore burning off sugar and lower your blood sugar (bs) level. Then by drinking gatorade, full of electrolytes your body needs while working out. It also contains sugar to help keep you bs readings at normal.

Hope that helped....or should I say, hope it made since! :whistling

[runningscared]

Hi MacnReef,

Thanks for your input, what I ment by "I think type 2" is I have not always been diabetic, like I said I had only been dx'd a week ago and my Dr didnt go into a whole lot of detail at the time as I was actually their to see him about a bad back and he just happened to get my lab info back. (I had been for bld and urn testing the day before as per suggestions from workmates due to recognizable symptoms shared by themselves re: diabetes

The Dr. did suggest diet and exersise, but no mention of meds yet. Going for a full physical and class and dietician in a 2 weeks.

[MacnReef]

Oh, I see. Very Interesting.

Keep us posted.

[Gina]

macnreef

your gatorade trick did the trick no more lows at the gym...for the past month i havent had a low at the gym, its beautiful lol

[Belinda]

Had the same problem with lows during exercise (not intense just walking 2-3 miles). I have now used the options of temporary basals for the exercising and that works well but it also took some practice to get it right. If only my pancreas would work I wouldn't have to do all this fun stuff....LOL

[notme]

Hi Gina,

I am new to this site, but not so new to diabetes. I also workout and use an insulin pump. I have found that eating something high in protien (even a little fat) helps me keep a constant blood sugar level. I usually don't suspend my pump during a workout (because I kayak and it takes several hours) but I do set a temporary basal rate and then eat protien. The protien takes longer for your body to metabolise and seems to keep your blood sugar constant. Hope this helps a little.....(and nice to meet you)


P.S. Peanut butter on celery is one of my favorite workout foods.

Nancy aka notme

[Gina]

oh cool thanks Nancy...i will try that